Under The Feet Of Jesus Character Analysis
In the novel, Under The Feet of Jesus, by Helena Maria Viramontes, the author conveys the harshness of being a migrant worker and how easily one can become stuck in the same job for their whole life. Viramontes, uses the main character, Estrella, a 13 year old migrant worker to display how this long-lasting cycle and precedent can be broken. Estrella is anything but a stereotypical young girl who has big dreams and plays with friends, instead, everyday she goes out into the fields and works extremely hard to support her 4 younger siblings and mother. Estrella never realizes the power she can achieve as she feels oppressed due to her status, but as she takes control of her life, it allows her to not fall victim to the cycle of only being a
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Where Petra relies on religion to save her from the inevitable cycle, as opposed to where Estrella takes it into her own hands and knows she cannot rely on anything to save …show more content…
The same is true for Estrella, as she feels oppressed due to her low status of being a migrant worker. She feels as though nothing will change unless she makes it change and she knows that she does not want to spend the rest of her life in the fields. At the nurse’s office when Estrella realizes her family cannot pay for Alejo’s medical attention, she “opened the back door, pulled open the hidden trunk door, grabbed the crowbar which laid next to the red jack, heavy, iron cold, and walked back to the clinic.” (148). Viramontes uses this image to express how Estrella no longer wants to live according to her status and does not want to feel held down due to being a migrant worker, so she takes matters into her own hands and achieves her own power. As Estrella threatens the nurse, her new found power and self-identity is shown from the wording of the sentence where the actions are described and then followed by the details of the crowbar which illustrates her sudden change in personality. This image expresses Estrella’s ability and willingness to finally stand up for herself and her family despite their situation, even if there are ensuing repercussions. The symbol of the crowbar at this moment portrays power and breaking free from the cycle as Estrella
Where Petra relies on religion to save her from the inevitable cycle, as opposed to where Estrella takes it into her own hands and knows she cannot rely on anything to save …show more content…
The same is true for Estrella, as she feels oppressed due to her low status of being a migrant worker. She feels as though nothing will change unless she makes it change and she knows that she does not want to spend the rest of her life in the fields. At the nurse’s office when Estrella realizes her family cannot pay for Alejo’s medical attention, she “opened the back door, pulled open the hidden trunk door, grabbed the crowbar which laid next to the red jack, heavy, iron cold, and walked back to the clinic.” (148). Viramontes uses this image to express how Estrella no longer wants to live according to her status and does not want to feel held down due to being a migrant worker, so she takes matters into her own hands and achieves her own power. As Estrella threatens the nurse, her new found power and self-identity is shown from the wording of the sentence where the actions are described and then followed by the details of the crowbar which illustrates her sudden change in personality. This image expresses Estrella’s ability and willingness to finally stand up for herself and her family despite their situation, even if there are ensuing repercussions. The symbol of the crowbar at this moment portrays power and breaking free from the cycle as Estrella